FALCONS STAY HOT; SPLIT WITH TOP-RANKED RATTLERS

From staff reports

Published 7:15 pm, Friday, April 6, 2012

SAN ANTONIO - Thanks to a fielder's choice by Travis Wilcox in the top of the ninth inning, Artie Carrera scored the game-winning run, giving The University of Texas of the Permian Basin a much needed Heartland Conference victory as the Falcons took down NCAA Division II's top team in St. Mary's.

UTPB won the first game of the double header 8-7 in nine innings before St. Mary's took advantage of two UTPB miscues to win the second 2-1.

Wilcox was the force behind the UTPB offense as he went 2-for-5 with four RBI to lead the Falcons to their 11th win of the season and seventh in Heartland Conference play.

The Falcons came out swinging early, taking a 7-2 lead through the first four innings. UTPB started the game with three hits and took advantage of a Rattler error to take a 3-0 lead.

A four-run bottom of the fifth made it a one-run game before the Rattlers would eventually tie it at 7 with a run in the sixth.

Wilcox came through when he had to in the top of the ninth giving UTPB pitcher Jacob Ricossa a one-run lead to work with in the bottom of the ninth. Ricossa walked leadoff hitter Tyler Migl, who would move to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ivan Sigala but would retire Derek Moczygemba and Mario Maldonado to close out the Rattlers for his second win of the season.

In the second game, the Falcons scored a single run in the top of the first off of an RBI single by Brademan, allowing Briseno to score. They would hold on to that lead until the bottom of the seventh when St. Mary's capitalized on two fielding errors that cost the Falcons the game.

UTPB starter Tanner Neuberger allowed just two hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out two and walking two.

UTPB moved to 11-27 on the year and 7-16 in Heartland Conference play and will play the third and final game of the series at 1 p.m. today.